Slugs and Snails, and Puppydog Tails
by Shinjite Florana
Summary: “You give up to easy.” “I’ll stay with my first assumption.” “Which is…?” “You’re just plain crazy.” A continuation of Coraline’s life- Movie Universe, Wybie X Coraline,UPDATE: Now, defiantly a T rating needed. first chapter's K though
1. Loss

Well, lookie here! Guess what _I_ found? An old fanfic!

My awesome good buddy Hannah (who has an account on here too!) really anticipated the release of the Coraline movie. In preparation, she read the book, as did I, and we went together to one of the first showings. The book and the movie were very different, in my opinion, and both very good. This old fanfic I found consists of the movie universe, seeing as I love writing 'paring' fics for my own sick enjoyment. MUHAHAHAHA!!!

Eh-hem. The reason I went was because I love Nightmare Before Christmas, (the movies had the same director) and although the lack of Tim Burton is evident in the movie, it has very good merits- like the addition of Wybie. Now I can have some _fun_... Xb

Now, without a further movie-review, I present

Slugs and Snails, and Puppy-dog Tails

* * *

"Snail."

"Nah, slug."

"What? That is _so_ a snail."

"Nope. Slug."

"No, it's not! It's a snail! See that swirly cloud there? That's its shell. Snail."

"Slug."

"How can you say that?!"

"That cloud of yours doesn't touch right. It's placed funny on it's back. It's a slug."

"Grr… He's just in a weird position. He's a snail, and that's final."

"…"

"…"

"…slug…"

"Grrrr!"

With a violent flip, Coraline, who had been laying next to Wybie on the grass, gazing up at the cotton clouds, rolled over onto him, forcefully pinning him to the ground. Her hands pushed hard against his shoulders, holding him to the dusty soil lawn of Pink Palace Apartments. Her friend cringed, curling in on himself as much as he could in the position he was in.

"Snail!" She yelled at him.

"Ok, ok! It's a snail!"

Coraline pursed her lips before letting out a soft sigh that ended in a dizzy smile. "You give up to easy." She said, rolling off him to flop back next to him, sprawling across the prickly grass, gazing at the sky.

"You're scary!" Wybie stuttered, pitifully trying to defend himself.

Coraline gave a halfhearted laugh, rolling on her side to look at him as his head also rolled to the side to match her gaze.

"Nah, you're just a wimp." Coraline teased, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

Wybie pouted. "I'll stay with my first assumption." He muttered, turning back to scan the light blue above him.

"Which is…?" Coraline asked, sitting up a bit more.

He turned back to her with a coy look flashing across his eyes. "You're just plain crazy."

Smiling and gasping in mock shock, Coraline whacked him across the shoulder before bolting up for the ground and dashing away with a shout of "You're it!" trailing behind her.

Wybie, with a blank expression on his face, struggled awkwardly to his feet before tripping after her.

Coraline let a wispy laugh be lost to the wind as it whipped by her face. Without much thought on her part, she found herself rushing for the best climbing tree in the yard, Wybie gaining behind her.

He didn't look like much of a runner, but her could move when he wanted to. How many years had it been? Four? Five? They had both changed over the years. But not too much. Still at 16 and 17 they would play the same games that they had at twelve. Exploring, tag, hide-and-go-seek, cloud gazing. They still had a childish aspect stuck to their lives even though they were both driving now and worrying about things like college. Or, well, Wybie was driving; Coraline still only had her permit, as he _loved_ to remind her of.

And as for that college thing, maybe she should rephrase that, as they _should_ be worrying about college. They weren't. It wasn't real in their world. They hadn't aged a day since they first met in both their minds. They were stuck back in the days of laughing at knock-knock jokes and teachers with cooties.

They looked different. They both had gone through that most awkward age with each other. Coraline had rolled on the floor laughing for what seemed like hours when Wybie's voice kept cracking, and even harder when a few days later he had such a low voice it seemed like a speaker in his throat was saying things instead of Wybie himself.

Wybie, on the other hand, was more polite with Coraline's changes, I guess you could say. Or maybe just more oblivious to the fact that Coraline now had a bust line and curves. She was still thin in the extreme and wearing training and sports bras at 16, but it still didn't change the fact that her figure had completely re-vamped itself. She tried her best to hide these subtle differences with baggy sweatshirts and other loose articles of clothing. She felt like she had succeeded thus far.

A year and a half after having moved to Pink Palace, Coraline had reached her full and final height, like a _normal_ person. She even stood a seeable distance above Wybie. But not for long. After Coraline stopped growing, Wybie's body seemed to decide that it was his turn. To this very day, Coraline didn't know weather Wybie was still growing or not. He towered over her 5ft. 2" at an intimidating 6ft. 6". (Coraline didn't think people could even _get_ that tall!) Or at least, he would be, if he weren't constantly hunched over in a shy, protective way, as if he was expecting to be struck.

Wybie seemed to always be wound up tight that way. People talked of the boy who had something wrong with him, from the way he was, curled in on himself, stuttering, a bit shaky at times. Coraline couldn't stand how some people treated him. The looks they gave him. The things whispered about him. Her mother wasn't very happy with how many fights she had gotten into at school. Really, one bloody nose or black eye given or taken and her mother lost it.

Wybie was, in a word, awkward. Socially awkward, to be more exact. Like Coraline herself, he was a cast-out of society, part of what she liked to think of as the "fringe". Their friends (besides each other) were few and far between, all of them with at least one foot in their circle that was more of hexagon- just to be different.

Memories flashed past her in instants. She was the only one that Wybie seemed to feel safe with. The only one who he let see the more relaxed Wybie that she was used to, and had deemed the "true" Wybie.

Enough reminiscing, she told herself.

Her mind back in its place, Coraline sped up to leap up and hang on the lowest branch of the tree. She swung there for only an instant before she sucked in a deep breath and held it, using her upper body strength to pull her head up over the limb, curling her arms around it so that she now swung by her shoulders.

She was just about to hike a leg up to pull herself completely on to the limb and out of her chasing friend's grasp when suddenly, it was to late.

"Got'cha!" Wybie proclaimed as he wrapped both arms around her legs, holding her in place.

Coraline screeched in defeat and excitement, struggling to break free of his unusually strong grip. Wybie, thinking fast, flashed a devilish smile up at Coraline as the idea came to him.

Catching his look she breathlessly gasped, "What are you-?" But it, again, was to late.

She watched with growing horror as he slipped off one of her sneakers, letting it bounce on the ground once before it lay still, limp, and dead.

"No…" was all she could manage. One more brief look as a roguish smile flashed across his lips, and then it began.

He tickled her.

"DAAAMMMNNN YOOOU!!!" she guffawed in high-pitched screams of joy as his long, spider-like fingers danced across the sole of her foot. Her toes clenched and unclenched as her foot wiggled from side to side in his hand, but he held her firm. She kicked and yelped for him to stop, she pleaded, she begged for mercy. Why oh _why_ did she _ever_ let him find out her ticklish spot?

Weakness and desperation sapped her limbs strength. Suddenly she couldn't breath as she gasped in air that didn't seem to reach her lungs. A small jolt, a slip, and she watched in slow motion as she fell from the tree.

Her landing was soft.

His wasn't.

"Oof!" She released as she landed on him.

"OW!" He yelped as she landed on him

"Uuuh…" Coraline moaned as she oriented herself

"Uuuggg…"

Blinking her eyes a few times, all she could see was black. At least Wybie was soft enough. She didn't really feel too bruised anywhere, and she could hear his groans of pain, so he wasn't dead, always a good sign…

Then the sound stopped.

With sudden urgency, Coraline flashed opened her eyes, which faded slowly, _agonizingly_ slowly, to give her visual senses again. Impatient, she again gave herself a check up. No rushing fluids, no aching pain, not even a headache. In fact, her face was cushioned against something quite comfortable….

Coraline watched as Wybie's face slowly came into focus. A sudden rush of fear. His eyes were wider then she had ever seen them, and a look of utter shock froze his face. Coraline tried to ask him if he was ok. Words didn't come though, for as soon as her lips started to form the words, something clicked as another pair moved along with hers.

His face was really close.

His breath was really warm.

His lips were really soft.

Coraline sucked in air for a scream as she pushed herself off him. No sound escaped her though. It was that same thing like when you climb all the way up the rollercoaster, dreading and dreading what's to come, but when it does, when you finally make that plunge, the shout gets stuck somewhere in your throat, and you ride down silently, wishing you could scream.

Instead, after a silence that expanded a few minuets she finally forced out the thought.

"Are- are you oh- okay?"

He just blinked at her, his face's expression not having changed since she first opened her eyes.

"W- …Wybie…?" She usually wasn't the one stuttering or struggling for words.

Wybie, again, just blinked. Coraline noticed that his eyes now looked unfocused and clouded. Unconsciously she leaned down a bit to look closer at him. That motion sure got his attention.

"Ah!" He sat up suddenly, flinging her off of himself. She scrambled to sit up before looking over at him. His eyes weren't unfocused anymore. They were sharp, and held something kin to fear in them as he stared at her.

"I'm…I'm fine…" He murmured, as if having just heard her question.

"O-oh…th-that's good…" Her eyes lost contact with his and she felt her face heat up, betraying her. Anger made her expression a scowl as she blushed, furious with herself. "Thanks for breaking my fall…"

"Huh?" Wybie responded, not really seeming to be paying attention to the present. "Oh, yeah…no problem…" His head swung to one side as his brow pulled together in worry. "I- I think I hear somebody calling me…"

Coraline sighed, suddenly losing her fury at everything and letting regret take her. He hadn't used that excuse in years. Coraline closed her eyes before woefully rising. "Right, Wybie…" she said in a less then believing tone. Turning after only a moment's hesitation at waiting for Wybie himself to struggle to his feet, Coraline turned and trudged back toward the apartments. "Bye Wybie."

He must have felt a little regret as he barley got his voice over normal volume to yell "Hey, Wait!"

Coraline stopped and turned only her head back to look at him with tried eyes.

Wybie had a hand stretched out that quickly curled its fingers in and then fell to his side. "S-see you tomorrow, then, right?"

The corner of her lips twitched before she replied "Yeah. Later Wybie." She then turned and continued back, the travel from her yard to her room uneventful.

Shutting her door and flopping onto her bed to lie on her back was done in one swift, familiar motion. Coraline released what she vowed to be her last sigh of the day as she finally let a part of her mind panic, let the confused emotions run though her. So strong and so passionate they were, and yet, she felt somehow detached. A single phrase kept replaying itself in her head.

Things can never be the same now, can they?

The innocence of their youth that they had been preserving for so long had in a single, accidental moment, left- and the world was a little bit poorer for it.

-----+----+---+---+----+-----

Now, don't think of this as a sad ending, the story has just begun! But the question is-

Will I continue it? In all likelyhood, no. Not unless I feel the _love_! Come on! Shout it in a reveiw if you want more! (please?) Each reveiwer gets a free cookie.

...

_...love you...!_


	2. Fine

Hi ya. Thanks for the support, all! One reveiw away from 10, so that's good enough for me. ^-^ Keep reviewing and reading and by golly, I may actually finish this story! Ah! But I shouldn't say that I might jinx it. O.o

Anywho, about this here chapter, I must sadly inform you, that even after my best efforts, it's kinda, well…_boring_. There. I said it! *bawls* My only consolation is that in the next chapter, some serous shtuff is going to happen. Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo!!!

I didn't proof read. Didn't feel like it. Didn't have time. If ya see a issue, get a tissue! (Nah, I'm joking. Please reveiw it or PM me. Thanks bunches!)

How Was School?

* * *

"How was school, Coraline?"

Coraline hated that question more then she hated school.

That assertation was ridiculous in it's own way, and she knew that. She didn't really _hate_ school, nor did she hate her mother asking about it. It was the predictable-ness of it all that really bugged her. The annoying repetition of _years_. After high school started, there wasn't much that changed from day-to-day school. School was always school. And since the beginning of time, Mrs. Jones had always asked her daughter how it was, and the annoying, predictable, repetition ticked her off.

Coraline sighed moodily in response to the question and slammed her backpack on the kitchen table.

"That good, huh?" Muttered her mother, chopping up something on the counter.

Coraline opened the fringe. It made its usual air-lock suction sound. Scanning its contents, she grabbed a kiwi and a lemon. Slamming the cooler shut with a _fwunk_, Coraline headed for the door again.

"I'm going out with Wybie." She said automatically and she opened the door and stepped out, but then she froze. She said this whenever she left to hang with him after school, but today, after yesterday, it sounded funny…

Coraline turned to her mother and eyed her wearily. Her Mother had assumed she had already left, but as she turned away from her task and wiped her hand on her apron, she noticed her. She hummed in surprise, a sound asking what it was her daughter wanted.

Coraline's gaze turned to the ground, scanning it for a distraction, and then back to her mother, her expression still suspicious. "You know when I say that, I mean I'm going out to _play_ with Wybie, right?"

Mrs. Jones's brow pulled together. "Yes…?" she replied slowly.

"Wait, no, I mean-" Coraline let go of the door to wave her hands in front of her and shook her head, trying to clear it and regain the ability to articulate her thoughts. "I mean I'm going outside to _hang out_ with Wybie. Yah know, talk, play tag, all that stuff…" her words trailed off, her lower lip still being bit, holding the 'fff' sound at the end of her sentence before pulling it down to stare blankly at her Mother.

Mrs. Jones now almost had her eyebrows hiding behind her bangs they were lifted so far up. She nodded to the girl, again, slowly, as if to someone who was a bit dense in the head.

"Okay then." Coraline stood there another moment, blinking. "Bye." She then turned and left out the door.

Her mother watched her leave, waiting until the metallic _clang_ of the screen door they had installed a couple years ago disappeared. Then she heaved a sigh, and turned back to her work. "Oh boy."

Wybie met her by the woods normally. The same place that they had met for the first time. He would slide lithely down the hill, making the dried leaves- red, yellow, and brown- fly like surfing waves behind him. He'd stop himself in front of her and greet with a beaming smile and a "Hi ya, Jonesy!"

But she didn't know if that would happen again anytime soon. On days like this, aftermaths of some catastrophe- an argument between them, after he had been bullied badly at school- He would hop on his motorcycle (he had traded his old motor bike- now retired to the shed- for a nice, slick-black Harley) and circle around the forest, down the road, to meet her at the Pink Palace driveway. This meant one of two things.

One: He wasn't going to stay long. After hanging about for an hour, half hour, he would say a quick goodbye, hop on his bike, and ride off. Sometimes he wouldn't be back until really late. The rumble of his damaged muffler would announce her of his return as he drove by. She would roll over and check her clock. 12, 1, even 2 in the morning sometimes. But after that she could sleep, all the horror stories of motorcycle accidents forced out of her head. She would sit up in bed, alert, and wait until she heard the motor kill and the clip-clop clip-clop _clang_ as he returned home. Then she would flip over and bury her face in her pillow, tense, and squirm into a comfortable position before relaxing her body completely and drifting off to sleep.

The second option was that he didn't want to stay put, but he didn't want to leave her, be _without_ her, necessarily. On those days, they would stay at the Palace for an even shorter interval of time, or even not at all. Coraline would hop on the small backseat of the bike, Wybie would rev the motor, and then they flew. Sometimes they'd go places, and sometimes they would just drive around for hours on end, though empty roads, reaching speeds no sane person would even attempt on such a screaming metal death trap.

Coraline could argue she like doing this even more then hanging out with him normally at the apartment complex. It gave her a sense of euphonium, release, freedom- speeding down the road, almost faster then time could catch up to them. Coraline never got used to the fastness of the vehicle. She would always cling to Wybie with all he might, crushing her face into his leather-covered back.

It wasn't always fast though. Sometimes they'd take easy, slow roads and Coraline would feel safe enough to lean herself all the way back, feeling the wind whip leisurely by her as she faced the sky, just griping onto the driver's trench coat.

Wybie almost always wore a large, long, leather trench coat, having out-grown his raincoat ages ago. Coraline remembered when she had finally picked up enough sense to call him on the fact that he had outgrown the thing.

_Coraline glanced over at Wybie as she rushed by him, and again as he slid through her vision. The attempt gave her a dizzying sensation. She straitened her legs down and dug them into the dry dirt beneath her. Once she came close enough to a stop, she hopped off the swing and tumbled a ways in front of her friend._

_Coraline cocked her head to the side as she inspecting something on his personage. Then she pointed. "Your raincoat's to small for you, ya know." _

_Wybie glanced up at her, letting the scruffy-looking black cat out of his arms. It gracefully- besides it's slight squawk-like yowl it released- landed on the ground and disappeared somewhere into the lawn._

"_No it's not." He argued._

"_Yes, it is." She restated firmly, walking towards him as he spoke again._

_Wybie dug in his jacket until he found and pulled to his face a worn looking tag. This action pulled half of his coat off and stretched the collar of the black T he had underneath. Thinking back now, this was one of the first times she had ever scene Wybie without his overcoat on. He was almost as thin as she was, but he didn't look _sickly_ like she did. ("No you don't." Wybie would tell her whenever she vocalized this certain complaint at her image. She would always just scoff and switch topics.)_

"_See, it's size 'Adult' and I'm only 15." He was finally able to make out the faded writing._

"_Pfft." Coraline scoffed. "Lemme see." Coraline snatched the tag from him and pulled it to her face, which, of course, pulled Wybie._

"_H-hey! W-watch it!" He complained. Coraline didn't see his blush under his tan skin. To escape, he finally twirled out of his jacket and a few paces back._

"_Huh." Looking at the tag, she found he was right. "Well, even so, you've outgrown it. You need a bigger-" She paused an looked up at Wybie. He looked disgruntled and a bit uncomfortable, like he was too exposed without his jacket, even though it was a warm day. The collar of his shirt had pulled itself completely off his shoulder, exposing a slight muscle definition and coffee-with-cream colored skin. Coraline faintly wondered if he tasted like milk chocolate with that beautiful skin of his._

"What'cha thinking about?"

"If you taste like chocolate." Was her immediate reply. Then her eyes bugged out and she met his gaze.

Wybie was standing in front of her as she was sitting on the edge of her stone retaining wall with an expression to match her own. Coraline's moth gaped like a fish's, trying to form words that weren't coming.

"W-well, I-I'm just gunna…back away now…" Wybie tiptoed slowly back as he said this.

"H-hey!" Coraline started to stand.

Wybie then rushed the rest of the way to his parked Harley and hopped on it, quickly grabbing for his modular helmet.

"Wait!" Coraline straddled the front wheel of his bike, making his get away impossible. Wybie held tightly to his helmet, giving the appearance he feared any attempt on her part for an explanation.

Coraline decided it was best not to, in that case, and instead, took a deep breath. Digging in her pocket, she pulled out the lemon she had taken from her house earlier. She held it out to him, a peace offering.

Wybie's dark eyes darted from her face to the treat wearily, like a stray dog when offered a snack by an unfamiliar hand. Finally relaxing himself, he shifted the helmet under one arm and took the fruit from her.

Coraline gave a mental sigh of relief. She watched him scrutinize the food he now held. A laugh bubbled out of her unwanted. Wybie looked up at her.

"What?"

She snickered. "Nothing. You just look so _Bad-Boy_ like that." She chuckled louder. "Well, minus the florescent fruit."

The boy's face darkened in his invisible blush. Finally, to interrupt her laughing her stuttered out "W-why's that so f-funny?"

"Cause' you're totally _not_!" She guffawed, holding her aching sides now. It was almost true. If he could hold the right expression, stand erect for once, and talk without a stutter, he could have passed believably by as the every-day rebel. I mean, they way he dressed, the way he looked, even some aspects of him like his motorcycle- they gave all the signs. But if you knew him, _really_ knew him, the idea was laughable. In fact, it was hilarious.

The roaring of a motor brought her back to her senses. Wybie had put his helmet on and was now ready to ride off into the sunset- if it weren't for Coraline standing in front to him. He playfully lurched forward a bit and was reworded with a high-pitched squeal on Coraline's part as she was pushed forward.

"Ok ok, I take it back, you are a lovable rebel and a real bad-boy, you make all the good girls swoon." Her tone was dull. "Now get off." The tinted shade of the flip-up (currently flipped _down_) helmet hid his face as he silently looked at her, unmoving. "Please?" She tacked the word on at the end, allowing the sincerity of her plea to leak out. A muffled sigh could be heard as his head bent down.

Gloved hands reached up and removed the protective gear from his head, hanging it on his handlebars and sliding off the seat of the bike. He ran a hand through his curly hair before following Coraline back to the retaining wall. He perched next to her and they fell into rhythm.

This was they way it had been, the way it should be. The friends were familiar to one another, sharing a snack outside, maybe chatting about some idiotic antic done at school, or some torture an un-favored teacher had bestowed upon their class. These memories she had were fond and she wanted nothing more then to have things fall back into pace again between them.

Wybie peeled the lemon like an orange and ate it accordingly. Coraline took out her kiwi and then realized something. Where was it now? She patted both her jean pockets but came up blank. Must have forgotten it… Leaning over to Wybie she started to feel at his jacket. Wybie jerked away.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Coraline blinked at him. "I need to use your pocketknife." Her eyebrows pulled together a little. His reaction shouldn't have been so violent. The rhythm that they normally had was off, she could tell- and it bothered her. A lot.

"Oh…" He took on a shade of shame as he understood the normal reason and need. He muttered an insult to himself under his breath. Wybie reached into the left side of his trench coat, digging into one of the deep inner pockets. Then switched to the other side, finally coming up with the sharp utensil. Flipping it open, he then gave it a small leap into the air and deftly caught the blade end, handing the handle side his friend. Coraline took it wordlessly.

Now she breathed out, deciding to do her darndest to relax the atmosphere that had once flowed so easily between them.

Kicking her feet, she leaned back to look at the sky. Coraline peeled of a big curl of the skin on her fruit and took a big bite. Wybie peeked over at her, having snarffed most of his lemon down already. Coraline caught his gaze and understood it immediately. She sighed almost in disgust.

"I don't get how you like that stuff." She flung the fuzzy skin of the kiwi at him, witch he struggled to catch. She eyed him as he finally got a grasp on it and with a big smile popped it in him mouth. She cringed. "Is that part even _edible_?"

He gave her a wiley smile as he chewed. "Not only edible, it's the healthiest part for you!"

Coraline shook her head. "No matter how many times you say that I still can't believe it." She threw her last bit of peal at him. He almost dropped the piece, but sighed in relief when he trapped it in his fist a foot before it hit the ground. He sat back up and popped the brown and green between his lips.

"It _is_ though! A-at least, th-that's what my Gr-grandma tells m-me…" Wybie curled in on himself as his stutter suddenly worsened.

"Hnn…" Coraline contemplated, "Well, I do trust your Grandma, so I guess I'll believe you- for _now_." She added darkly, popping her last and large mouthful of the fruit. "okay!" She exclaimed then hopping down from the wall. She paused to chew, and then swallowed the whole piece with a bit of a struggle and a gasp afterwards. "Let's go!"

Wybie looked blankly at her. "We're going somewhere?"

"Well, I dunno." She pranced over to his motorcycle and seated herself. "That part's kinda up to you." Coraline scanned the ride underneath her. Wybie didn't actually have his motorcycle license, only his normal one- another face rebel-like aspect. Coraline didn't really approve of this, and used to reprimand him for being so stupid as to ride something he wasn't properly trained in. But, time passed, and after proving to her over and over again that he more then knew _how_ to ride the thing, but he was actually quite _good_ at it, Coraline grudgingly accepted his illegal activity.

Eyeing the helmet, she let a smile break across her face. She roughly put the headgear on, and it wobbled loosely. "Boy, you've got a big head…" She muttered from it, the sound suppressed. She then leaned herself forward greatly and was just able to reach her feet to the stationary pedals and handlebars at the same time. "_Vrrroom_! Yeah! Peddle to the medal, baby!" She imitated a celebrity's voice. Quite poorly, Wybie might have added.

Coraline heard a sigh, then him standing and quick steps toward her. This helmet had horrible peripheral. Or maybe she had it on crooked.

Pulling the helmet off her and sliding her back on the seat, he placed himself in front, sliding his head into the stolen article.

Some people- _hopeless romantics_ mostly- would think that he should let _her_, the weaker, innocent passenger, and _female_, wear the helmet. But, the thing was, Wybie wasn't one of those people, and neither was Coraline. But she was curious.

She remembered word-for-word what he had said when she had asked him why she didn't get to wear the thing.

_He turned around in his seat on the bike to look at her. (They were still stopped of course) His helmet was currently flipped up, and his exasperation spoke all._

_"A bug hits you in the eye, it hurts. A bug hits _me_ in the eye, _we're dead_." He mock whispered the last two words, and something about the statement was different for him. Coraline felt a tingle go down her spine._

_Flipping the helmet down, he then faced forward and they were off._

That had been one of the first times he had let her on his bike. Well, the first few times it was more forced. She didn't want to get on that thing when he'd probably kill them both! (She had still been bugged about him not having his license)

Wybie's voice brought her back to the present.

"For the record, motorcycles _don't_ have pedals."

"Whatever, lets just go!" Coraline bounced excitedly in her seat, unaware as they pulled out that day that they both wouldn't return.

* * *

Ooh! It's a cliffie! I know, I know, you hate me. (Wuv!) Well, in the next chapter you'll see what happens, and NO it's not THAT you dirty, dirty minds…*glares* Nasty… (Xb) Next chapter is where things realy start to pick up and i start taking over the story. Xb But remember! I still need the love, or thou shalt neva know!!! O.o

Ah, also, on a side note, this chapter was even longer then the last one. I so proud of meself. (Though most of it was boring ranting... -_-')


	3. Scarred

From 2,008 words, to 2,904, and now to 2,949... I fear that by the end of this fanfic, I will be writing 10,000 word chapters. O.o

Well, moving on- As promised, here is the next chapter! Yaaay! It is long, and I must worn you of possible Out-Of-Character-ness, or as most of us refer to it, OOC-ness. I tried to make them in character to the best of my abilities, but alas, there are parts I feel they are lost. -sigh- There is also a scene I wish you'd watch out for, because I swear to sweet baby Jesus (he so cute!) it wrote itself. O.o i will go into more detail after. Thank you overmuch, read on, my lovelies. -evil laugh-

Scarred

* * *

"Why don't you just take the motorcycle test? I'm sure you'd pass"

"I'm n-not eighteen yet…I have to have c-c-completed a course," Although Wybie stuttered in his response, there wasn't any nervousness in his voice. That was just his way, Coraline understood. "That would be to expensive and take up to much time. Besides that, it's a twenty-some-dollar fee j-just to take the test."

Coraline turned her head to the side so that the whole left side of her face was pressed between his shoulder blades. She guessed it was an intimate position. There wasn't that much of a definition or room for one to label front-seat and backseat on the bike, (Not that Coraline's small frame needed anymore room) and Coraline grappled to him tightly, almost painfully at times. Her head rammed itself into his back and her hands gripped fistfuls of the leather from the front of his jacket, her arms wrapped around his chest.

So, yes, it was quite commonly mistaken that the two were…_together_. Coraline used to be very defensive to the accusation, but years of the repeated mistake toned her down to just slight annoyance, although on the inside it still brought her to a boiling point. Wybie was his most silent then, and if he did try and talk, he would probably be stuttering to much to make any scene, so it fell to her to tell people that no, they were not "dating," "going out," or "together" in any way besides as friends. The statement of that fact shouldn't make her feel bad.

But it did.

Why?

Coraline held him tighter as they sped up even more. She grit her teeth at the sound of the motor. "You'll be eighteen soon, so you can test then."

They were speeding down a road that reached forever, across fields so flat you could see clear around the world. They had only seen two other cars go by, lazily rolling as they sped by and were currently deserted. Coraline adhered herself onto Wybie as she experienced the feeling of fright- her drug. She was a terror junkie, and the adrenalin hit her system with a fury. Her eyes were wide and excited and her lips in an indecisive grimace of pain and pleasure.

"Promise me you'll take the test."

She thought that maybe her voice, muted enough from her self-suffocation into his back, had been lost to the wind because his response took so long.

"Coraline…"

The way he said her name was…off. His tone was determined and serious, and the change and rarity of it sent a tingling shiver down her spine. Sensibility then hit her and she realized how fast they were going. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Slow down Wybie, we're going to fast."

"…Way- …Coraline I- …." Wybie had bent himself forward as he struggled for the words. Unlike any other given time on his feet, Wybie, for better control and safety, always had an attentive erect position on his bike- leaned just enough forward so that his body was smooth and streamline- but he was curling in on himself now, and Coraline could feel him shaking. The moment had in an instant become intense, and Coraline tried not to feel the pressure and distance (or maybe lack of distance) between them.

"Please slow down, Wybie." Coraline let her voice become softer and border-line pleading. She didn't want him to finish what he was trying to say. She didn't want this perfect world of hers to end.

A frustrated sigh, and Wybie shook his head violently, releasing the throttle, allowing gravity to reduce their speed. After a minute, Wybie raised himself back to his normal riding position. Coraline wanted to see his face. But it was impossible in all ways from her position- behind him and with his helmet on. She didn't want to see it. But she did. And didn't. And it hurt. Why did it hurt? Coraline slid a hand to her chest. It conflicted in her, both wants creating a tight knot in her chest, making breathing hard.

What emotion would play across his features? What inaudible request would she see? Would it be some unknown truth? An ugly truth?

Her chest hurt. And it was cold- like pins and needles- needle like fingers- sharp piercing nails- the hand, the hand had her- it was squeezing her heart, and her mother and father were gone, forever, and all that had once ushered joy became a horror film and she was a bug caught in a web- a bug caught in a web- and the spider was winning, dripping fangs and button eyes.

"I can't breath." she mouthed the words. She pulled her other arm back and curled forward, covering the gaping hole in her chest, leaning now so that only the top of her head was touching Wybie's back, her forehead almost touching to the seat. "Wybie, I can't breath." The words were whispered. The fright won, and the adrenalin was gone, used up.

"Hnh? Coraline?" He quickly looked over his shoulder and then back to the road, but the glimpse told him nothing. Wybie slowed down even more, allowing himself to steady against the road with his feet and come to a complete stop, dead in center of his lane. (not that he was in the way of anyone, there was no one for miles, it seemed) Flipping his helmet's face up he was able to twist his body to look at his friend. Something inside him lurched.

The sight was terrifying.

It was Coraline in complete panic. Fear. Dread. Her lips were repeating over and over, the same phrase- _I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I'm not scared_, Her eyes were wide and unnatural. Her body couldn't decide weather to rock itself or stay deathly still, and the tense muscles shook instead, chattering Coraline's teeth.

Wybie had to stop a moment; to put _himself_ in check and make sure the same fear didn't take him. For her- for her he could be calm. When she was so many things for him, he could be this for her. No one else ever saw her this way. Her ultimate weakness, her fatal crack, threatening to make her crumble. But she wasn't broken. She just thought she was.

Stability is oddly enough a fluid concept, and something Wybie had desperately needed right before Coraline showed up. She had been that stability for him- a crutch, a rock, to keep him waited to reality.

Wybie knew some of it. He was there for the very end- but he didn't know all of it. He had never been behind the door, and whatever had been back there, though Coraline did all she could to hide it, had gouged a piece of her. He could count on one hand how many times she had utterly broken, and only ever with him- Only with him had she ever let her guard down to see the part she hid and tried to heal.

"Coraline," His voice was the steadiest it could ever be and Coraline stopped shaking- but he hadn't made it through yet.

"Coraline." Her wide eyes lowered their lids and her expression threatened tears. Wybie had never seen her cry-not even when she broke her arm when riding some horse at camp, (Coraline now hated horses) and he wasn't about to have that record change. _This_ was not Coraline. He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger and raised her face to look at him. "I'm not scared,…" she whimpered to him, locking eyes.

"Coraline…" His voice wavered. The boy's eyebrows knit together as he shook his head, dashing glances from one of her eyes to the other. "Coraline, you're terrified." He finally communicated.

Her eyes relaxed and widened again, one eye overflowing down her cheek. Her face spoke revelation.

That single tear snapped something in him, something attaching him to the world.

"Of what?" He asked, suddenly earnest as he searched her blank face more frantically. His gaze paused on her parted lips and after a moment, gravity began pulling him forward.

Wybie froze. He sucked in air and quickly turned back to face foreword. Leaning his head back to face the sky, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He roughly jerked his head down and forward, with the purpose of locking the helmet's face back down. It fell into position with a click. Reaching back to the handlebars, Wybie soon made the idling engine roar back to life.

He didn't expect to hear laughter after the sound of the motor died down. But he did. From behind him. Coraline was _laughing_.

"C-Coraline?" He now asked in bewilderment as he fruitlessly turned his head toward her.

"Hn..hehe…oh…sorry about that…ahhh…" Her giggles trailed off. "Eh-hem. Right. Really, though, I am sorry about that. Didn't mean to have a little…_break-down_…" Her bewildered friend wasn't sure if she was serious, or just trying to make light of the situation.

"No…problem…?"

"Oh _pffft_." She scoffed. "You're to nice. You need to be tough!" he felt playful punches hit his back and silently smiled before lifting his feet from the road and taking off.

"Whoa!" the initial start threw Coraline off balance and she fell into Wybie. Pushing herself back she pursed her lips. "A little warning would be nice." She mumbled, not really complaining. Looking around her, Coraline watched the countryside roll slowly past her. A dot appeared in the distance; their third vehicle on the road, and Coraline leaned herself far back to look at the sky.

It was cloudy, and the sun's rays were dulled. The bordering horizon was made up of dark clouds that even threatened rain. She felt bad- and embarrassed. Such a silly thing causing so dramatic a reaction. It was foolishness. 'Stop being so over dramatic.' she lectured herself.

And then to have put Wybie through that. She was just being cruel. And yet, he stuck with her a put up with it. Coraline reflected another minute before speaking. "You know what your problem is?"

Wybie was to relieved to let her poking fun get to him. "What?" he answered the rhetorical question.

"You're _to_ selfless. You don't do almost anything for yourself."

"What? That's not true!" Wybie defended.

"Uh-huh. Name _one_ thing that you did purely for yourself, not considering others." She smiled, sure she'd win. She needed to bring things back to normal. Dramatic changes like this, she hated them. Back to being friends. Back to hide and seek, naming games, and struggling on homework together.

A while had passed and Coraline took in air to declare her triumph.

"The first time you road with me."

The girl paused, thinking it over.

"When I finally convinced you to let me drive you on my bike." He clarified.

"…"

"We were late for s-school and we both needed to get there, remember? Y-your parents were both out, and we missed the bus…"

She let her held breath out in a rushed sigh. "Yeah, I remember." She thought a bit more. "But I don't think that counts."

"Heh? H-how doesn't that count?"

"You had been trying to convince me to let you drive me around for a long time. You thought I'd like it, have fun. Therefore, _not selfish._"

The boy opened his mouth to fight back but instead let the breath come out wordless, his face suddenly tired. He didn't agree, but to much had happened and thoughts were flying through his head a mile a minuet.

"You need to be more selfish."

After that, there was a long silence. The conversation was assumed ended and Coraline let her mind wonder what Wybie was thinking. How _his_ mind worked, what gears turned in there normally. Sometimes he was a real mystery, and she really wished she could get inside his head for a bit.

"Coraline."

"Yeah?" her answer was lax, not yet catching his tone.

"Do you really want me to be more selfish?"

Coraline bent her head up to look at his form on the Harley before leaning back. "Yeah. Why?"

He was quiet another minute and Coraline wished more then ever she could read his thoughts.

"I…I have a qu-question I want to ask… A selfish question."

Coraline's brow pulled together a bit in confusion, but didn't really expect what was coming. "Yeah, sure. Shoot."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Coraline was just about to say something when he spoke. His voice was soft, but she heard every word.

"Would you go out with me?"

You could hear the ticking of moving thoughts in her head slow to a stop.

"What?" She breathed, "What did you say?" She sat up and looked with an almost scared expression at the back of his head.

"…"

"Are you serious?" The words were a breathless, like asking about a taboo.

"As I can be."

"…"

Normally, at this point Wybie would have been screaming curses to himself inside his head, but a clarity filled his normally cluttered a multitasking mind, and that was even worse, because he could absorb fully and realistically which way the conversation was going.

"…Pull over."

"What?"

"Pull over." Her voice had that firm tone to it that had no arguing it.

Wybie glanced to his right and then his eyes were back to the road. "There's no shoulder." He related the dry dirt strip next to her.

"Wybie."

"Coraline, I can't-"

"Pull over." Her voice was taking on a tone he had never heard before- desperate. Wybie grit his teeth and bent his head, finally letting the rejection hit him.

It was. It had been a selfish question. The most selfish question in the world. He was forcing a change; they couldn't be the same friends they might have been after this. He wanted her, and she didn't want him. And who could blame her? Not even him. The only person to blame was himself.

It wasn't like this was _easy_ for him! To come to terms that he liked his _best friend_? _Normal_ guys were shy and had a hard time asking girls they liked out, so you can imagine how he felt. Last night had been a torture of talking himself into it, and then out of it, and then denying he liked her that way at all- and then the memory of her soft lips against his, and his imagination ran away with itself again.

Coraline was panicking. More frightened and unsure of what to do then she had ever been in her entire life, and the only thought she had in her was _stop_. Make it stop. She wanted it all to stop, she wanted Wybie to pull over.

"Stop-" Coraline reached forward and pulled back on Wybie's arm, forcing a turn off the road.

"Shit!" Wybie slipped the cuss slickly out of his mouth, and the harsh word brought a little bit of Coraline back. Wybie never swore.

He didn't have control. What was she thinking?! Was she trying to kill them? Damn it, damn it- Wybie immediately sharply turned himself to the left to compensate- overly compensated, actually- and the motorcycle lost balance.

The movement was done before it was completely thought through- he may owe that to the rush of adrenaline. Wybie wondered if _this_ was the feeling that Coraline craved so much. He had grabbed behind her knee and pulled her left leg out of the way just before that side of the motorcycle crashed against the pavement. It fell to its side and screeched forward on the road, sparks flying and wind rushing. Someone was screaming- and as Coraline ran out of breath it stopped.

The nails-on-a-chalkboard noise grew worse and worse before silencing and the planet stopped rotating. Then two long, long seconds of silence. Everything was black, and the world was tight around Coraline. Then darkness moved away and Wybie let her out of his iron grip. The helmet was ripped off his head and his hair and face were wild. By what seemed a reflex he ran a hand through his hair, uncovering his eyes. And then they locked themselves on Coraline.

Hands gripped her shoulders. Hard. Too hard. It hurt. _"Wybie, quit it, that hurts"_ but her words ended before they began.

Wybie was _mad_. No, he was worse then angry, he was furious. And that was different. Wybie got irritated, Wybie got annoyed, but he never got angry, let alone seething. Coraline abruptly felt very small.

"What the _hell_ were you _thinking_!?" And he shouted the words, and Coraline shrunk more as she tried to process how his features could be so distorted with rage. "Coraline!" He shook her, and it made her dizzy.

"I-…I-" Her face felt hot with shame, and she was frightened of him. Frightened of her best friend. She blinked rapidly at the stinging in her eyes. "I didn't-… I-I'm sorry, I just-…" And she couldn't say more. She was quiet, and scared, and small, and her best friend now felt so far away. Where was he? Where was Wybie?

He shook his head, grimacing in pain, bowing down as his body shivered. "Don't…" Wybie made a sound in the back of his throat and then looked back up at her. "D-don't d-d-_do_ that to me. Ever." And his voice was exhausted. His hands turned limp and slid down her arms to her elbows, and his 6ft 6" frame curled itself, his forehead bending to rest itself on her shoulder.

And it was quiet. Peace. Lack of thought; A pause in the world. Then it started up again.

Then a blaring noise.

Action. Movement, quick and instant. Wybie lifted his head, turned, reached for something. Something hard was slammed over her head, then something even harder-

Blackness

* * *

Well, folks, there you have it. Mad? Angry? Confused? Me too. -_- I was sooo excited coming home today. 'Yay!' I was thinking, 'I have another chapter to post! And a picture too!' (I'll get to that part) So I upload it, re-read it, and realize, it sucks. O.o Ah, well, it's not terrible, but it's nothing special. I may redo parts of it later on.

Anyways, did I mention a picture? Why, yes, I did! –happy- I drew a little something for this fic. I based a small part of this chapter from a scene in _The Girl Who Leapt Through Time_ movie I recently saw. It's a re-imagined version of the two, Wybie and Coraline. I am first and foremost an anime/manga freak, so it is in that art style. Here's the link, just take out the parentheses http(:)//fav(.)me(/)d29rqsc


	4. Age

Hello again all. I've been sensing lately that you guys aren't reading my little before-and-after author notes. -_- Ah, but that's ok. As long as you take time to read the story. But there is one thing…

_**I DREW A PICTURE**_. Ha! Try and not read THAT! Well, anyway, I wanted to get thine attention to inform you that I have, indeed, sketched a little something for this fafic. I had it listed at the bottom of the last chapter, but just in case you missed it, here's the link again. All you have to do is remove the parenthesis, and you'll have the link. http(:)//fav(.)me(/)d29rqsc

One more _**really**_ quick thing. The beginning of this chapter is going to get _real_ confusing, _real_ quick. IT'S OK. You're not supposed to get it all. If you're confused at parts, it's so you can identify with the idea of chaos I'm attempting to portray.

* * *

There must have been something off about him. I mean, he knew he was _different_, but weren't you supposed to see black when you died? Or got knocked out, Wybie wasn't sure witch one he was experiencing yet. Well, in either case, he didn't see any black. He saw two colors, one out of each eye.

One was white. Bright white. Unnatural white, not the kind that decorated his room, an off-white that made him dizzy after laying on his bed and staring at it for hours; blank, empty, a sensation of falling- no, it wasn't that kind of white. It was too bright, to clean and pure.

If this was heaven, then he wished he could have gotten hell. At least _that_ would have been more interesting.

Then there was the red. That could be hell, he guessed. It was bright though, not dark, fresh and stinging, swirling. That eye felt pressure, too. Not a pulsing, though it was close, no, just pressure- like it was full, and heavy- not like a normal eye should feel.

What kind of person goes half to heaven and half to hell? Wybie wondered what it would be like to be normal and sighed to himself.

Then there was the lack of all other sensations. He didn't feel anything else. No arms or legs, toes, fingers, neck or back. He had a bit of an understanding that he owned a head, but it wasn't his. It was to heavy and big to be his, and his nervous system wasn't hooked up to it right, he couldn't move it.

At that point, the left side of his brain seemed to wake up, and recite pi to itself, like numbers running across a computer start up screen.

_"You_ memorized _the first 50 digits of pi?!"_

_"F-for extra credit, yeah."_

_"You're already getting an A! What do you want, an A+?!"_

_"That would be nice."_

_She laughed. "You're phenomenal, Wybie."_

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510…

"Ah!"

And he was up!

Wybie bolted to a sitting position, now aware that he had been on his back.

And…now he wasn't.

He fell off whatever he was on, dragging things with him to beeping crashing cacophonies around him. Ow. Pain. That was…normal (sadly). Wybie moaned as the pain increased. Ow. Ow! OW!

"Ahhh!" And this wasn't normal pain. His leg _hurt_ and his _head_, his _eye_…

A gasp. "Someone get another nurse in here!" soft, fast steps. Then he saw the shoes out of his 'white' eye. Comfy, plain, and safe shoes. Nurse shoes. And he suddenly knew were he was.

There was a loud beeping. It didn't stop on and off, one pitch to another like a siren; it was one long, dull and yet sharp noise. Like a headache. Which Wybie now had.

I suppose he was aware of this in some way, but this level of physical discomfort was new to him. Even that _other_ time it had hurt in a different way then this did... The pain was too close to his brain, messing up his thoughts, and the scary part was he couldn't remember things. He forgot what color eyes he had, what running, walking, using your legs felt like. What was his third hour class? And of course, the question of how and why he was in the hospital. The confusion fogged his mind even more until asking questions was to much for him.

There were hands now- many hands- grabbing everywhere, lifting and hurting. Wybie couldn't tell if he was moaning or screaming. Then they stopped, letting go of him. He was higher up now. The white nothingness was everywhere in his right eye, and the bright red eye was even heavier, the headache concentrating itself behind his left eye.

And something was wrong. His heavy head thrashed to the side and his face was contorted on the left side- or was it right?- well, _that_ side anyway. It was shaped oddly, and not connected. There was no feeling; whatever was over that eye was not a part of him. He lifted his hand and felt the bloated spot. His first reaction was to move it, get it off. This must be what was hurting his head, and making his eye red.

Wybie clawed at it, scraping it off. He screamed. It hurt- worse- like someone had stuck a needle in it, all the way through, piercing into the back of his brain. And then something scraped the socket, trying to tare the eye out of his head, but it was stopped.

And for a split second, the world was in hues of red. Upside-down, too… A human form walked on the sealing toward him, light red lab coat flapping as its dark red face spoke unheard words. Wybie felt a prick in his arm, the sensation almost lost in the waves of pain in his head. Almost immediately, the agony slowly left…his 'red' eye turned black, his 'white' eye to gray-scale.

Why was he in the hospital? Was he hurt? Well, he _hurt_, so he must _be_ hurt…but how did he get hurt…he couldn't remember…

As the pain leaked away further, his tired, heavy head lolled to the side. An old-time movie played black-and-white. It was Coraline, bandages wrapped over her arm and head, the rest of her hidden under the covers of a clean-cut hospital bed. It must have been a silent movie, because her lips were moving but he couldn't hear any sound. He squinted as his vision faded, trying to read his friends lips since there weren't any subtitles.

_"It's okay Wybie, you're okay Wybie…Wybie…"_

Coraline…

* * *

She had been in an accident, she knew now. The doctors had told her over and over that she had been in an accident; That they had called her parents, that she was going to be ok.

Thinking back it had been two accidents really. The motorcycle wipe-out that she had caused being the first. While they were recovering from that, they hadn't noticed that the once far-off dot on the horizon had developed into a semi. After they had skidded out and into his lane the driver had slammed on the breaks, skidding his full load to a stop. He hadn't hit them. But he did hit the motorcycle that had slid a few meters more then they had. It was the property of inertia in motion. The semi hit the bike and stopped, but now the motorcycle had the energy, and it flew forward instead- and into them.

And Coraline remembered the feeling of getting hit, then blackness. She wished that she could have stayed knocked out. Instead she regained consciousness before the ambulance was there. How much earlier she couldn't say. All she remembered before fading back into the shadows of unconsciousness was Wybie-

There was a cut high on his forehead above his left eye and it poured crimson blood down into his eye, overflowing on the edges and down the same ridges tears would run. The white of his eye was no longer white, but the same frightening red. He looked possessed-demonic- with that eye, and Coraline had screamed-screamed until the sirens screamed louder and she elapsed into grateful darkness.

She was injured- but she had to take the nurse's word for that. They were scared of her falling asleep, but were also scared of he being awake. So in an unhappy-medium, she had been drugged to the point of vegetablism. She had to fight to do simple things like wonder how Wybie was, or where her parents were. She couldn't feel any pain from any of the injuries she was told she had. She couldn't feel anything. Not cold, not hot, not her lungs breathing or her heart beating. All these she had to have on faith.

She had to force herself to piece together the things she noticed. She was in the emergency room. They were still in the same room, Wybie and her, though a curtain was drawn between them. There had been panic- impromptu surgery- many people and voices rushing in and out- all on Wybie's side. It scared Coraline. She had to work to make her mind become concerned through all the anesthesia. And finally, when it had calmed down and the curtain pulled back, the chaos started again. All the pagers of what seemed like every doctor in the hospital went off at the same time. There had been a car accident- a pile-up on a highway, and they disappeared like phantoms into different parts of the ward.

Then Coraline let herself rest, and tried to sleep. She stopped trying to think, to worry and wonder and feel. She called sleep. Asking for it. And maybe it came- fleetingly, fading in and out, ebb and flow.

Like underwater, her ears almost heard the commotion Wybie caused. Finally awake, he sat up- to fast- and fell to the side, off the bed. Staff rushed in, helping him back on the bed. It took all of them.

Wybie wasn't in reality. His eyes darted about the room, not truly seeing. He must have noticed the huge bandage and gauze that patched his eye, because he scraped at it, tearing it from his face. Fresh red blood, like red pen on a returned rough draft. Spilling, running, swelling. And Wybie yelled. And his good eye almost rolled back into his head- she could almost hear the strain on his gritting teeth. His hand reached at the eye and gouged it. His other hand lifted to stop the other, fighting himself off. A doctor restrained him then, and a nurse stuck a sputtering needle into his arm. His tense, shaking body relaxed slowly, melting against the bed. His eyes lidded and his head lolled to the side, facing her. For the first time he seemed to see her. He wasn't hearing her though. Her calling and reassuring fell on deaf ears as his pupil dilated and slid to a complete shut.

Coraline felt a stinging in her eyes. She threw the covers off herself and tentatively tried to slide her leg off the side of the bed. Her minimal and careful effort produced an amazing pain.

"Miss Jones! Please, stay on the bed, don't try and move." A panicked nurse rushed to her side.

"But Wybie-"

"Mister Lovat is fine. Please, we don't want you to hurt yourself." The nurse helped situate Coraline and tuck her in. Tightly. Wrapped like a mummy, there was no question of her immobility now.

Mister Lovat? That was new. Coraline almost laughed. Wybie was not a mister of any kind, let alone a mister Lovat. Coraline looked about the room, amazed that her ability to think and concentrate had come back. Things were clearer now, the fog over her world lifting, her head lighter. She watched the nurse circle around her bed to her IV drip.

"Is Wybie going to be ok?"

"He'll be as good as new soon." She responded without looking at her, though she seemed sincere enough. "He was lucky." She paused as she taped a button and recorded something down on a clipboard from the end of her bed. "Though not as lucky as you. Good thing you had a helmet on. One broken leg and a bruised arm could have been a lot worse with a head injury like you're friend's added to it."

Coraline looked at the nurse a while before answering. "I didn't have the helmet on."

The nurse smiled and tapped her clipboard "Yes, you did." She flipped to the second page and confirmed herself. "See?" She handed it to Coraline.

Nodding carefully down, carline make out the chicken-scratch of a rushed paramedic reporting her condition at the crash sight. "_No serious head injury- wearing helmet_" Well, that wasn't true. Neither of them were wearing the helmet.

Coraline's eyebrows pulled together. "This isn't right."

The nurse turned to her, concern in her features. "Caroline…you hit your head,"

"_Coraline"_ the girl thought, but didn't bother to actually correct the nurse. She had more important matters to deal with. "Well, according to your account that wouldn't have done any damage." She was angry now. Annoyed. She was right. Wasn't she? "If anything, Wybie would have been the one wearing the helmet. It was _his,_ after all."

"Caroline," _Coraline_ "-Miss Jones, your friend Wyborne-" she said it wrong. Wy-_born_, not Wy-_burn_ "-Has a serious eye injury. He's lucky he'll be able to see out of it again. He couldn't have received that injury if he had a helmet on." She said this firmly, but not cruelly, taking the clipboard back from Coraline. Her voice stated it was the end of the conversation.

"Now." She began a new topic "Let's see about getting you your own room so you don't have to share one with a boy, shall we?"

Coraline wasn't listing. She had turned to look at Wybie. Had he…?

With a _shiff_ the nurse hooked the clipboard back to Coraline's bed and produced a needle. Holding it upside-down, she gave it a couple flicks, and a spirt of liquid came out form the tip. Wordless, she inserted it into Coraline's IV tube before discarding it and walking to the door.

Coraline immediately felt the affect of the drug, her senses forced back and her mind fading to a dead sleep.

"Goodnight, Caroline."

_Coraline_…

* * *

The bored, half awake days at the hospital that followed next dragged on. When she awoke for the first time after the night of the crash, she was in a new room- One without Wybie. Her parents visited her when they could. They brought her treats, flowers, and worried over her. Her mother offered Coraline the use of her old neck supports, which her daughter vehemently refused. She got some cards from other friends and family, but most of Coraline's time was just spent staring at the ceiling.

She didn't like having this much time on her hands. She thought too much.

* * *

"Jonesy…"

…

"Jonesy…!"

…No…let me sleep…

"Hey, Jonesy!"

"WHAT?!"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Wybie was whispering as loud as he could.

Coraline rolled over, twisting, contorting, and stretching. She hated waking up. It was the worst part of sleeping. There was always that part where you had to _stop_ sleeping. But wasn't that the worst part of anything; the end?

Coraline opened her eyes _slooowly_- Heavy eyes stuck together at the edges with sand courtesy of the Sandman. There was Wybie. Standing next to her bed, adorned in his _stylish_ hospital shirt and pants pajama combo, along with half his head wrapped up like a dead Egyptian. Yep.

The awakened girl glanced at the clock on the wall. 2:40-ish. Then she looked towards the window. Pitch black outside. AM then. Yep.

"Wybie?" She turned to him. The attentive boy gave her a look telling her he was listening. Good. "Why the hell are you in my room?"

"Technically it's th-the hospital's r-room."

"Well _I'm_ in it. Sleeping, actually. Or I _was_." Coraline's words made Wybie hunch over and wring his hands, shuffle his feet. She didn't mean to be that harsh. Coraline sighed "Sorry."

"…"

"…What is it?" Coraline remembered now- now that she was more awake. What had happened before the crash- why she had caused the crash- what he had said. And the day before, how tag had turned into- well, it was an accident, of course, the feeling of his lips…

Coraline shook her head. No! _Bad_ Coraline! Wybie is _not_ someone you think about kissing!

Coraline's heart jumped. She had to open her eyes. She didn't want to. She wished that she could leap two days back in time and make sure none of this happened.

"C-Coraline? Y-you ok?"

Coraline couldn't help but let a little giggle escape. "Hey, that's my line Mr. visiting-in-the-middle-of-the-night." She opened her eyes. She was smiling. Inside, she was panicked. Fearful for why he was here.

"Oh, umm, yeah…" he continued his fiddling. Coraline tried to sit up, but hissed in pain. "Ah!" Wybie rushed forward. Steady, slow, smooth, and controlled movements helped lift her torso. Using the pillow as a prop, Coraline was now sitting up. Then there was silence between them. It was thick quiet. Wybie felt obligated to say something.

"S-s-s-o…y-you broke y-your l-"

"What are you here for, Wybie?" Coraline cut him off. "No offence, but I was sleeping and stuff…" she tried to be tactful. Wybie was getting the drift.

"Yeah, down to brass tacks…" He mumbled.

"What?"

"What, you've never heard that phrase before?" He gave her a blank expression and stopped fidgeting.

"No…" Coraline dragged the syllable out, like the answer should be obvious.

"M-my grandma uses it all the time-"

"You're Grandma is _ninety_."

"Eighty-eight!" He defended with mock seriousness. "And she doesn't look a day over seventy-five!"

"Whatever." Coraline smiled. This felt normal, at least. "Back to brass tacks, then. What's up?" She caught Wybie's gaze. "Tell me."

Wybie half closed his visible eye and became very intent with his fingernail before he started to talk. "We haven't really seen each other since the accident…"

Coraline's heartbeat increased. He wasn't…looking for an answer…from before the accident…was he?

"See, I talked with the doctor…well, I talked with a lot of people…" His eye wondered aimlessly around the room, bouncing from wall to wall. He was getting dizzy. Wybie closed his eyes. He lifted his hand and taped a finger against the bandaged side of his head. "I hit my head pretty hard…" he paused. Opening his eyes he locked gazes with Coraline. Her heartbeat stopped from his look.

"I can't remember things. The last couple days are all…fuzzy. No that's not right." His eye closed again, a look of concentration on his face. "More like they went through a shredder. And I only got back a handful of scraps." His unbandaged eye opened again. His look was earnest. "I d-don't want to worry my Grandma. If she knew that this accident hit the memories right out of me…well…"

Coraline wasn't…getting it. He'd lost his memory? Only of the last couple days? Then, he had forgotten- when she fell from the tree, before the crash on the motorcycle- He'd forgotten…those moments.

Why did that make her sad?

She should be overjoyed. It was just like she wished. The last couple days erased from memory and existence. Back to the way they were before. It was perfect, right? Then why did her eyes sting- why did breathing become a labor- why did she feel…crushed…

"You can't remember…any of it? The accident- nothing?" Coraline couldn't believe it.

Wybie shook his head. "No, just…just a couple b-bits and pieces…"

"…Then…" Coraline tried to make sense of it all and failed. "Then what?"

"W-well, I came here because I can't remember- but you do, right?" Wybie took a step closer. "You can tell me what happened, o-our stories will match, and my Grandma doesn't worry herself sick. My eye is bad enough. I-" Wybie bit his lip and turned away, a hand cupping the back of his neck. He took a stance facing away from her, hands on his hips, looking at the ceiling.

"See, I h-haven't told you… I-I mean, I-I've only known for about a month and Grandma t-told me not to tell you…" a serene look took Wybie's features. "Gram's dying…"

* * *

Over 3,100 words. O.o My goodness. They're getting longer. Watch out!

Ok, ok, so here's the deal- I acquired major writer's block after the nurse knocks Coraline out with the drug. So, to try and cure it, I did what I always did- wrote. I just wrote whatever. So it become long, confusing, an tedious. I personaly didn't know what to keep and what to toss out of it, so I left it all in. It didn't turn out like what I wanted it, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it anyways. Please please please don't take to it to harshly! It. 2 AM right now! I'm trying!!!

Much love, don't forget to review!


	5. Meet

Not gunna lie, I'm not proud of this chapter. *sigh*

* * *

Yeah! An empty spot! Joyfully, Wybie pulled his bike in, parked it, and kicked the kickstand. Oh, and it was right next to the entrance, too.

"Lucky..!" He joyfully sung to himself as he pranced his way to the entrance of St. Maria Goretti Hospital.

Wyburne was in rare form today. As pleased as a peach, his Grandmother might say, happily enjoying the full effect of his pain killers. Coraline would yell at him for riding his repaired bike here. He could hear her already. But, he did get to see her.

Wybie almost pranced into the Hospital and up to the desk.

"H-Hello!" Wybie beamed at the young secretary. He was enthusiastic, not at a loss for words- The secretary was, though.

"Oh! H-hello..!" She stuttered, surprised at his attitude. Maybe it was a bit stereotypical, but she didn't expect, form the way he looked- dressed in all black, a long trench coat on a only just chilly day and skeletal gloves with the fingertips sniped off- for him to be so…cheerful. "Wh-what can I help you with?"

"I'm here to see a C-Coraline Jones." He told her sweetly, smiling with closed eyes and his head tilted a little to the right. Wybie _was_ in rare form. No shyness- in fact, he was confident. He felt good. And the energy made him feel powerful.

"Caroline Jones…" she murmured as she typed away at her computer.

"Coraline." He corrected automatically, opening his eyes to reveal a light in them. A spark that made his chest feel puffed up. He could take on the world, he was visiting Coraline today.

"O-Oh… Coraline then…How do you…spell that?" The secretary blushed.

"C-O-R-A-L-I-N-E. It's phonetic, really. Same as Caroline, but you flip the o and the a. Unusual, yes. You know, they say that a normal name gives you normal expectations for a person, but if you have an unusual name, it can make them extraordinary." Wybie wasn't looking at the young woman he was supposed to be talking to. At this point he was more talking to himself.

Setting her teeth in consternation she was able to find the room number of the girl he was to visit.

"Yes. Jones, Coraline: room 2018, on the woman's ward, second floor." She leaned a pit over her desk to point. "Just go that way and follow the signs."

"Thanks!"

She leaned back, looking back at her screen. She smiled. "It's so sweet of you to go visit. Is she your girlfriend?"

Wybie paused. He just froze, unnaturally. The receptionist was flustered. "Oh, w-was I mistaken? I-I'm sorry. Just good friends then?"

Wybie didn't respond.

"No…?"

"Nope!" Wybie finally broke out of his trance and looked at her with a smile that made the young girl, not much older than him, blush. He was cute. "Not dating. Just friends." With that he gave a quick wave goodbye and took long strides down the hallway.

Wybie was contemplative on his way down. He was so lost in his thoughts that he actually forgot to notice the signs and had to back track. Once he was in the right area he recalled the room number with no problem. He had always been good with numbers, it was history and literature that got him the most.

Wybie didn't really know whether to knock before entering or not, and was relieved when the door was cracked slightly open anyway. Slowly opening it he poked his head in.

The room looked very clean, and almost unlived in. The only contradiction was the copious amounts of flowers that vased themselves on almost every surface of the room.

"Psst! Over here!"

Wybie's gaze drew over to the other side of the room. Lying on the clean-cut bed was Coraline. The flowers seemed to dominate the other side of the room. Wybie questioned her about this with a darting glace from the flowered side to her side as he walked over to her.

She sighed. "They smell nice, but so many of them, and all mixing together, I just didn't want them to close to me and my overexerted nose. But that's not why I asked you to swing by today."

Wybie let his eyes ask his responding question of _Why?_

"I asked you to come because of _this_!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. As she said this she whipped her head down, bowing toward him and revealing a distinct definition in the parting of her hair.

Wybie stopped dead.

It didn't make any sense at first. Coraline's blue hair was as much her as his long coat was his. So the fact that out from the roots of Coraline's head peaked out a dull ginger color almost made him feint.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What?"

"You're hair…is really that color?"

She shut her eyes. "Yes, Wybie. As much as I wish blue was my natural hair color, it is not. That would be _awesome_ though. Invent that for me one day." Her eyes were open now, and she was smirking. "You brought the stuff I told you to bring, right?"

"Oh, yeah…" Wybie dug in the endless bottoms of his coat. He handed the Manic Panic Hair Dye, AMPLIFIED to her. She took it and read the label. Shocking Blue. Perfect.

"Thank you SO much Wybie!" She leaned forward and gave him a quick squeeze. "Ok, ok, I just showered"- she quickly felt her hair- "It's still damp, so let's do this!" Coraline pumped the fist of her good arm in the air.

"… 'We'?"

"Yes, 'we.' I would have done it myself if I could have, but…" Coraline bit her lip before trying to lift her bad arm. Gasping at the pain she let it drop to hang in its cast again. "Can't really do a good job."

"…s-so you think I can do better? I've never dyed hair b-before! I d-didn't even know you dyed yours!" Wybie was in a panic.

Coraline looked at him. "You didn't…know…" Her eyebrows rose. "You thought blue was my natural color."

Wybie nodded.

"…so…" Coraline pulled her brow back down and thought for a moment. "How long have we known each other?"

"A long time."

Coraline snickered. "Right. Ok, ok, down to business."

And so it began. Coraline directed and Wybie tried to follow. _Tried_. The business was messier then it needed to be, and Coraline kept shivering at the "tickle" she experiencing from him running his hands through her hair. She wasn't crazy or infatuated or any of that, most girls know the feeling, but give it no name- when another person brushes though their hair, and odd shiver runs down their spine and they are left with a tingling sensation- It wasn't that his touch was special or anything.

Right?

The conversation was light. Nothing heavy. School she missed, homework, how her mother and father were holding up without her at home.

"Oh, that reminds me" Coraline began "How'd you get here? Did you take your grandmother's old clunker?"

If Coraline had been facing him, she would have seen Wybie's face flush. "Uh… n-no…"

Coraline raised an eyebrow, growing suspicious. "Then how'd you get here?"

"I…I…walked?"

Coralline's eyes drooped half way shut. "Uh-huh." She agreed in a nowhere near believing tone.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You took your bike, didn't you?"

"…M-maybe?"

Coraline spun around to face Wybie, forcing his gloved hand form her hair to hover startled in the open air in front of him. "You possibly _cracked_ your _skull_, have slight _brain swelling_, are hyped up on _medication_ and you _drove_ here on the _exact same_ motorcycle that you _received_ these injuries on?!"

"But I j-just got it back today. I had to take it out for a spin-"

"_ARE YOU NUTS_?!"

"I wanted to see you."

Coraline shook her head. "No. No! Just, no."

"…no?"

"No!"

"…"

Coraline glared at him, her good arm crossed over her other, hiding the effect his plea of wanting to see her show. She laughed sadistically, with fake bitterness.

He looked dumb. What a goof. He wasn't ex_actly_ smiling, but you could just _tell_- the look he had in his eyes. Yes, his eyes were now something of great interest to her and added to his figure in general. Green, and quite vibrant. Not many could claim his skin tone and have such outstanding eyes as he had. And then there was the reason why they had become so suddenly interesting. One eye (his right) was normal, the pupil was constricted normally- the room was well lit, not much light needed to see. His right though was greatly dilated. The injured eye had healed all it could from the accident. The pupil was large and looming, hiding most of the iris. He looked off-balance, almost mad with those eyes. Coraline could hardly break her eyes away from him now. This new power he didn't know he held over her was dangerous. Staring at Wybie to long these days was never a good thing. Her mind would always drift…

Like _now_.

Shaking her head (not a good idea when getting your hair dyed) she tried to clear her head.

"Ah…" Coraline heard Wybie start to say something and opened her eyes. When had they closed?

Speckles of blue covered his face and clothes. The girl's eyes widened.

"…C-coraline…w-why did you shake your head?"

"S-sorry!" Coraline raised a hand, hastily wiping the tiny dots of dye off him, (Also not a good idea). It smeared.

"C-crap! Get a warm washcloth!"

Wybie stood. He looked around helplessly, his hands raised in front of him. Gloved but covered in more blue goop.

"_There_! Over there's the bathroom! Go go go!"

Wybie awkwardly followed her directions.

"Hurry! It might stain!" She patted the edge of her bed frantically as he ran to the bathroom in the corner. She heaved a sigh of relief when heard the water start running. What a great big mess she had made of things. Nothing could be easy around her, could it?

In the bathroom, Wybie tossed the gloves into the garbage while the water got hot and then did his best to clean off the smears of blue all over his face and arms. At least he had finished her hair. He was just sort of… oh, he didn't know…"playing" with her hair sounded so creepy, but he couldn't think of a better word for it. Finally deciding that he had done the best he could to clean himself up he re-entered the room to meet the attentive eyes of Coraline. She looked him over and spotted the inevitable fault she would find.

"Ah!" She pouted at him "Your shirt!"

Wybie looked down at himself and back up. "What about it?"

"It'll stain!"

"Wybie hadn't thought of his clothes. He had the sense to take of his jacket before the activity. What did she expect him to do, take his shirt off? Immediately after the thought he experienced an involuntary and odd sensation, like something leaped inside of him and made his head fuzzy. Looking up he met with a pink-faced Coraline. Apparently she had the same thought.

"N-never mind…" she lowered her pointed finger.

Then they were left with awkward silence.

Always fun.

Coraline decided it was time for a change of subject.

"Why on earth are _you_ out of the hospital with brain trauma, when I'm still in here with only two broken bones?" She accused playfully. He silently thanked her for the different topic.

"First off, it not really brain trauma. Not severe enough."

"Severe enough to knock memories out of you." Coraline regretted the statement before she had finished saying it.

Wybie's expression was steel. Too well trained. He didn't flinch. "_You_ on the other hand, have a mighty fine snapped shin- and good medical" Wybie smiled at her. "Physical injuries prevent you more in life then mental ones."

Coraline was sure the clock was ticking; she just couldn't hear it as his eye locked with hers- Those odd, sad, sweet, excited, hiding, shy and sparkling eyes. How her hand reach out and touched near those eyes either, she wasn't quite sure, besides that they did. Wybie must have understood that she was looking at those interesting eyes of his, and not really him. She pulled down one of his eyelids and concentrated on the injured eyes, the large, black, dilated pupil- and then switched, pulling that eyelid down and letting the other one open. She watched as his normal eye constricted with the light and adjusted, quickly, until it was just right. Then she shut both of them and her eyes drifted, unattended, to those barley parted lips of his.

"Hey Wybie…"

"…Yeah?" His voiced sounded lower than normal.

"Several days ago…the day before the accident… You and I were playing tag and-"

Coraline heard the turning of the door handle like a shot. Her hands pulled back from her friend's face as if burned.

Wybie's eyes slowly opened as the nurse entered. "And…?"

"Hn…nothing." Coraline's eyes shifted to the left of him. "You better go, visiting hours are almost over."

Wybie felt the sheet of glass fall between them. The voice of the nurse was dull and from deep somewhere below him.

"_Oh my! Caroline, what have you done to your hair!"_

"Dyed it. It was growing too much out."

"_I'm sorry, but normally we don't allow that in here. Too many unsafe chemicals. You should have talked to us first."_

"Sorry."

Wybie's mouth opened and spoke slowly and precisely. "Coraline."

Both heads snapped toward him. Wybie looked up at the nurse. "Her name is Coraline."

The nurse was a bit taken aback. Glancing down at a nearby sheet, she agreed with him. _"Oh my, yes, it is! And here I've been calling you the wrong name this whole time-"_

Wybie picked up his coat, hung over the back of the chair, and started to leave.

"_Thank you, young man-!"_

"Wait." Coraline's words were too faint for him to hear, or even the nurse's ears to pick up.

"_Really Caro- Coraline, you should have said something-"_

"Hey, Wybie…!" to soft again.

"_Oh look! I almost did it again-"_

He was gone now.

"_Really, I'm so useless sometimes. Oh my, was that your boyfriend just now?"_

"No, just a good friend."

* * *

Just to quell a couple readers growing fears, this is _not_ going to be a tragedy! I'm sorry that there are so many sad parts now, but it's meant as more _drama_ then tragedy. Think of it as an alternative soap opera if you'd like (though I'd rather you knot. I personally dislike melodramas and the like) But, Hey! Whatever makes you guys happy, makes me happy. And that's really the big thing

I'd much appreciate some of you loyal reviews to give me a little positive and negatives on what I'm writing. Amp up the romance, maybe tone it down- am I making things to dramatic, to confusing and hard to follow, or is its semi-strange nature entertaining? I'd love to hear it and try to improve myself.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

~Shina


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